Page 25: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2018)

About the Author

Above the Sea

Eric is a NYC-based journalist, web editor of MarineLink.com and a con- tributor to New Wave Media’s growing portfolio of global energy reports.

To 5 Trends to watch in offshore wind is competitive with onshore wind, and according to the Business Network for

Follow the Leader Bigger is Better the repercussions have been felt across Offshore Wind.

Offshore wind’s established leader, Across the globe, offshore wind proj- the world, setting the stage for a round Most coastal states have at least one

Europe, will continue to show the way ects are incorporating the latest innova- of large investments in offshore not only planned offshore wind project in the forward and build capacity. At the end tions in wind turbine technology as man- in Europe, but also in Asia and North pipeline, with several states having en- of 2016, nearly 88 percent of the world’s ufacturers are building larger turbines America,” the Global Wind Energy acted new policy or bolstered their ex- 12 offshore wind installations were located on advanced foundation designs in even Council said in its Market Forecast for isting policy to support project develop- in European waters. In 2017, Europe saw greater water depths. 2017-2021 report. ment.

a record 3,148 MW of net additional off- Larger turbines that are able to capture As cost reductions continue, new op- shore wind capacity installed, with 560 more energy and are more ef? cient al- portunities will arise and new ground

Floating Future new offshore wind turbines across 17 low fewer installations and lower main- will be broken. For example, in March wind farms, according to WindEurope. tenance costs and are therefore key in this year, the Dutch Government award- Once written off as infeasible, ? oating

Europe’s total installed offshore wind the industry drive to minimize costs and ed Vattenfall a tender to develop the twin offshore wind farms are gaining momen- capacity is 15,780 MW, which corre- maximize ef? ciency. 350 MW Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore tum. The 30MW Hywind Scotland wind sponds to 4,149 grid-connected wind This trend toward increased size and wind farms, which when built by 2022 farm operated by Statoil in partnership 5 turbines across 11 countries. scale will continue. will be the world’s ? rst to be built with- with Masdar 25 kilometers offshore Pe-

Growth in this sector is expected to In March 2018, GE Renewable Energy out public subsidy. terhead, Scotland began production as continue. WindEurope said in its 2017 announced it will invest more than $400 This follows another landmark zero- the world’s ? rst full-scale commercial “Scenarios for 2030” report that total in- million over the next three to ? ve years subsidy offshore wind tender in Germa- ? oating wind farm in October 2017. stalled capacity offshore could increase to develop and deploy the Haliade-X ny last year which was the ? rst to attract And in its ? rst months of production, ? vefold to 70 GW by 2030 according to 12 MW, a new world’s largest offshore zero subsidy winning bids, but will be Hywind Scotland has performed better the central scenario, or by as much as 99 wind turbine featuring a 12 MW capac- built later in 2024-2025. than expected. During the winter, when

GW in the high scenario. The majority ity, 220-meter rotor, a 107-meter blade. the wind is at its strongest, the typical of offshore wind installations will occur Towering 260 meters over the sea, capacity factor for a bottom-? xed off- in the North Sea, with almost 48 GW in- Haliade-X will produce 45 percent more shore wind farm is 45-60 percent. By

U.S. Emerges stalled by 2030 in the central scenario. In energy than any other offshore wind tur- comparison, Hywind Scotland achieved the Baltic Sea, where 1.5 GW of offshore bine presently available and will gener- With the U.S.’s ? rst commercial off- an average of approximately 65 percent wind is online today, projects in Poland, ate up to 67 GWh annually, GE said. shore wind project online (Deepwater during November, December and Janu-

Estonia, Germany, Denmark and Swe- Wind’s ? ve-turbine 30 MW Block Island ary, Statoil said.

den could add 9 GW installed by 2030. Wind Farm off Rhode Island) others will Floating wind turbines hold poten- 4

In the Atlantic Sea, where there is almost follow suit. tial for locations where the water is too

Cut Costs no capacity today, close to 8 GW could The success of a ? rst project, together deep for typical ? xed-bottom turbines. be reached thanks to installations in The offshore wind industry set a goal with decreasing global costs and stron- This promise will become greater as

France, the U.K. and, on a smaller scale, to decrease prices toward the target of ger state policy commitments have led technological advances and cost reduc-

Portugal. The U.K. will also install the €100/MWh by 2020. With the help of to increased con? dence in the nation’s tions continue, much as they have in the majority of the capacity in the Irish Sea, larger and more ef? cient turbines, auc- offshore wind market. In the U.S., a total bottom-? xed segment. Statoil sees key 3 which will total close to 6 GW. Italian tion prices in many instances have far potential capacity of more than 54GW markets for its Hywind technology in and French installations could boost ca- exceeded the cost reduction targets with of wind energy generation is currently Europe, Japan and West Coast U.S., and pacity in the Mediterranean Sea to 0.5 projects delivering bids signi? cantly be- being planned, with a total capital in- predicts there could be nearly 13 GW

GW. low that level. “All of a sudden offshore vestment of over $1.5 trillion by 2030, ? oating wind capacity installed by 2030.

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